Lake Erie Fishing Report

Updated July 28, 2010

 

Updated Steelhead Information  |  Lake Erie Weather Forecast

** The daily bag limit for Lake Erie walleye is 6 fish per angler.  The minimum size limit for walleye is 15 inches. **   ** The daily bag limit for yellow perch is 30 fish per angler on all Ohio waters of Lake Erie.**   ** The steelhead daily bag limit is 2 fish per angler through May 15.  May 16 through August 31 the daily bag limit will be 5 fish per angler. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches. **    ** The Lake Erie black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) season is closed to possession (catch-and-release only) from May 1 through June 25. On June 26 the daily bag limit will return to 5 fish per angler with a minimum size limit of 14”.**

Western Basin

Walleye: The best fishing in the western basin continues to be NW of West Sister Island, W of the Bass Islands up to the international border including northwest reef, and 5 miles E of Gull Island shoal along the international border.  Casters are using mayfly rigs or drifting bottom bouncers with worm harnesses.  Trollers are catching fish on spoons with dipsys or jet divers, or on worm harnesses with inline weights.
 
Yellow perch:  The best perch reports have come from between Marblehead and Kelleys Island, NW of Kelleys Island’s, and N of Ballast Island.  Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.
  
Central Basin

Walleye fishing has been good W of the sandbar (N of Vermilion), 72 to 74’ NE of Geneva, and in 68 to 75’ NW of Conneaut.  Anglers are fishing down 50 to 64’.  Trollers are using pink, red, gold, black, purple, silver spoons and worm harnesses off dipsy divers, planer boards and jet divers. 

Yellow perch fishing has been good to excellent in 38 to 45’ NE of Edgewater State Park, 41 to 43’ N of Wildwood State Park,  50’ NW of Ashtabula Lakeshore Park and 45 to 54’ NE of Conneaut.  Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

White bass fishing has been fair off the Eastlake CEI and Fairport Piers.  Always difficult to predict when they will come in close to shore.  Anglers are using agitators and small yellow or white jigs along with small spinners.  Mornings and evenings have been the best.

Based on the nearshore forecast the water temperature is 74 degrees off of Toledo and 72 degrees off of Cleveland.

Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating.
 
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